Dan Hillier
UK post-hardcore legends Svalbard have just wrapped up the UK leg of their farewell tour after nearly 15 years of making music together. However, the Bristolian quartet left us with a fantastic parting gift in the form of their latest track, ‘If We Could Be Saved’. It showcases why they were such a powerful force in the scene and why they will be deeply missed. It features everything we love about them: fast drums, captivating melodies, and powerful vocals from the incredibly talented guitarist and singer, Serena Cherry. The track is also enhanced by dreamy, shoegazey riffs, tying this emotional, heavy farewell together. In the release announcement, Cherry likened the song to a metal version of ‘Goodbye’ by the Spice Girls, which is an apt comparison. Farewell, Serena, Matt, Mark and Liam, and thank you for everything. – Nessie Spencer
Converge doesn’t need an introduction; they have been around for 35 years, and everybody knows what to expect when they release new material… and yet, ‘Love Is Not Enough’ transcends expectations once again, showcasing the raw energy and consistent quality that make you eager for more. The Boston hardcore legends are set to release their 11th album on 13 February 2026, and their title track is a 2-minute-22-second exhilarating banger for the books. The psychedelic riffs from the one and only Kurt Ballou, mixed with the sludgy rhythm section from Ben Koller, Nate Newton, and Jacob Bannon’s unmistakable razor-edge vocals, make this song clearly made to get the crowd going à la Concubine or Aimless Arrow. Forget Valentine’s Day, if Converge tells you that Love Is Not Enough, you do as they say, one mosh at a time obviously. – Nessie Spencer
There’s a ton of ways to describe this song, but truthfully, the only fitting way would be calling it what it is; absolutely thrilling. The latest track from the London art-punks Man/Woman/Chainsaw and the first single to be released via their new home of Fiction Records, ‘Only Girl’ is playful and downright adventurous amalgamation of indie pop hooks and left-field song writing that takes shape in the form of flourishing piano and violin riffs. It’s a true experiment, one formed of contrastive ideas due to it’s adolescent energy and studied instrumentation, but something that’s nothing but a unique and total success. There’s genuine reason why many are calling Man/Woman/Chainsaw one of the most exciting bands in the capital right now, and ‘Only Girl’ only provides further credence to such claims. – Dan Hillier
Returning with a bang and the second single off new album Dreamcrush, Danish blackgaze icons Møl are back with ‘Young’. Whereas their previous single ‘Garland’ softened the quintet’s harsh sound with clean vocals and lush, clean guitars, ‘Young’ leans further into the black metal with frontman Kim Song Sternkopf’s ferocious screech cutting through walls of whirling distorted guitars without losing any of the melodic texture Møl have made their trademark. Setting themselves apart from the tidal wave of miserable men in corpse paint, Møl clash brutal black metal beats and vocals with genuine heart and subtle harmonies for a uniquely listenable experience. – Rowan Bruce
London based DIY punk collective Dream Nails are back with a bang. The fourth single ‘House of Bones’ taken from their upcoming February album You Wish is laden with post-punk riffs, shout-along choruses, and a positive message about finding inner strength, freedom, and being comfortable in your body making ‘House of Bones’ a strong contender for the female empowerment anthem of the year. Taking inspiration from the bass line in Nova Twins‘ track ‘Bassline Bitch’, the syncopated riff against the confident swagger of lead singer and bassist Mimi Jannson makes for another exciting listen and the ultimate hairbrush karaoke song to sing in front of the mirror. – Ez Luscombe
Bristol’s premium doomgaze band, Sugar Horse, has delivered a double whammy this week with the release of two new songs via Fat Dracula Records: ‘What’s Your ETA? Let’s Have A Tear Up’ and ‘Would You Like Me to Be the Cat?’. All proceeds from these tracks will go to UNRWA, an organisation that provides essential assistance to the people of Palestine. The first song begins as a catchy post-hardcore track and culminates in a Reznor-esque outro filled with captivating distortions and heart-wrenching visuals of the ongoing situation in the region (which starts with the letter g). In contrast, the second track is more subdued and melodic, resembling an outtake from The Cure’s Disintegration period but make it post-rock. The accompanying video features an abundance of adorable cats, which beautifully juxtaposes the grim lyrics about a world where hope feels futile yet necessary. Donate to UNRWA here. – Nessie Spencer
A band more people should know, with a name that (in all fairness) is difficult to remember, Sweden’s Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket have returned with their first new music in six years. The sole new offering on their upcoming release, ‘För varje steg’ is every bit as heartbreaking and vital sounding as Vi Som have ever sounded. Even if you aren’t a native Swedish speaker, the pain is felt in every lung blasting scream, frantically picked riff, and in the thunderous drum performance. Screamo at its very best, and it is about time everyone else started to see it. – Kevin Ashburn
Unconventionally unhinged is probably the best way to describe Alice Glass’ latest single ‘Mercy Kill’, and is her second single of this year after her gut-wrenchingly honest last album PREY/IIV. This latest endeavour is raw, cathartic, and in places quite difficult to listen to with a striking combination of disjointed elements of synth punk and chiptune with glitchy vocals that sound eerily demonic at times, scattered percussion that pulls from many subgenres of electronic and dance music, and the sparse length. ‘Mercy Kill’ may only be two short minutes, but those minutes are filled with utter despair that will stick in your mind for longer than the duration. – Ez Luscombe
Yes, the name of this band and respective song title in conjunction may certainly sound horrific to most people (you do you if you if you think otherwise), but thankfully, the new single from Melbourne’s Sex Mask is anything but unpleasant. Taken from the band’s upcoming EP Body Broker and featuring Noah Learmonth of fellow Aussie outfit Radio Free Alice, ‘Blisters’ is a blissed out and hopped-up haze of no-wave punk that carries the floaty essence of being half conscious in an uber at 4am. It’s a fantastically hazy track, one that bares the hallmarks of late night ventures and all the things they invite whilst still being ideal listening for fans of acts such as Fontaines D.C, Big Special and Snapped Ankles. – Dan Hillier
Giddy up, there’s a new posse in town. Hailing from Texas-via-South Ireland, Uncultivates are here with ‘Flatley’, a rootin’, tootin’ and damn right shootin’ blast of mathy post-hardcore that just makes you want to unload your revolver into the roof of a saloon. Ripped from the band’s upcoming debut This Will All Become Clear Later, Like The French Revolution – released February 6th via Horsebox Records – this single is a cowboy inspired ruckus in the best way possible, a track that that mares the southern bedlam of Every Time I Die with the thrashing fun nonsense of Skin Failure in a way that’s playful yet still absurdly chaotic. It’s daft, but goodness is it fun. Yee haw lil’ doggie. – Dan Hillier
Transatlantic mathcore duo Weston Super Maim are back with new single ‘Bad Infinitum’ following their debut album last year, which was arguably one of the best hidden gems in the genre and also featured the likes of Frontierer, Blindfolded And Led To The Woods and Soreption. Over the course of its six minute runtime, ‘Bad Infinitum’ morphs and expands from crushing polyrythmic chug fests, ear-scraping mathcore riffs, breakdowns heavy enough to create dark matter to moments of genuine beauty and emotion where vocalist Seth Detrick’s brutally raw delivery either compliments or creates an effective contrast with the compositions of instrumentalist Tom Stevens. The track’s intro itself has enough “laser gun” riffs to make Car Bomb blush and contains a breakdown later on so ignorantly heavy that brain cells are bound to be lost in the process and we’re absolutely here for it. While the duo’s merits are mostly celebrated within the niche mathcore community for the time being, Weston Super Maim have rapidly proven their mastery of the groove-driven, angular and beefier end of the mathcore spectrum and clearly, they have still so much more to offer to those willing to join the ride. – Avrian O’Brien
UK alternative post-rockers Blanket fully submerge themselves in nostalgia on latest single and title track of their upcoming album True Blue. Having veered away more and more from the classic stylings usually associated with the post-rock label on previous works and taking a less upbeat approach than last year’s Ceremonia, Blanket instead embrace the brooding, wistful sound of grungegaze akin to the likes of Superheaven, Slow Crush or Nothing. This different approach to their sound lends a more personal, perhaps even intimate and vulnerable quality to the band’s music and promises True Blue as a more introspective affair upon its release next year on January 16th via their new home in Adventure Cat Records. – Avrian O’Brien
It truly says something about the times we’re living in when the saddest bands you have ever heard reform. The Saddest Landscape, gone for almost a decade, dropped a new song and news of a double album without any teasing, hinting, or anything and in that time, they’ve gotten angry. Very angry. Hexes still lives in that emotional post-hardcore/screamo world but with more bite, vitriol, and dare say nihilism than the Massachusetts natives have shown before. If there’s a whole two albums of this quality to come in early 2026, we’re all in for a wonderfully miserable time. – Kevin Ashburn
‘Pray’ sees Vana make a powerful stride forward in the industry, delivering a sharpened dose of modern metalcore that hits every mark it aims for. While the track sits comfortably within both what we’ve come to expect from Vana and the genre, it’s executed with such precision and conviction that it feels fresh. Her vocal performance is powerful and dynamic, cutting cleanly through polished production and punchy riffs. The chorus is built to be played on repeat, and the breakdown lands with satisfying weight. As her first major release since signing with Sumerian, ‘Pray’ is an impressive statement of intent and a promising sign of what’s to come. – Vee Richardson
Tired of waiting for Car Bomb‘s next album to come out? Well, so is the band’s axeman Greg Kubacki it seems, as he unveils his new solo instrumental project Sun Guts with debut single ‘Kilonova’. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree since with a little bit of imagination, one could almost hear what the potential contributions of the rest of the mathcore mad scientists could have been if this were a Car Bomb title. This is no complaint however, since more of a good thing is nothing to frown at with Kubacki delivering his signature out-the-box, both elastic and mathematically precise angular approach to guitar music. ‘Kilonova’ offers fever dream-like clean soundscapes, disorientating polyrythms and guitar effects manipulation, a brief but gorgeous solo as well as a “Sanguisugabogg-esque beatdown part thrown into a microwave” as described by the band’s Bandcamp newsletter. – Avrian O’Brien
Likely the most ridiculous band to exist in Scotland at the moment, technical/progressive death metal and blastbeat merchants Godeater are back to shred the skin from your ears. ‘Leech’ is the first track from the band’s Alvorecer EP, it’s a stunning blend of Gojira, Archspire and Tesseract that will challenge your mind and keep you guessing as to what comes next. One of the UK’s best kept secrets, they’ve likely got a late contender for one of the most creative and fun EPs of the year coming out on the 28th of November and it needs to be the subject of your time if you like anything in the sphere of ambitious, heavy music. – Chris Earl
Some bands have a sound and style so distinct that you could hear it through a phone speaker two miles away and still guess who it was with perfect accuracy. Lamb of God are one of those bands, and from the very first notes, ‘Parasocial Christ’ could not have been made by any other band. The way they blend driving riffs and technical yet bludgeoning drums with Randy Blythe’s scathing growl is like no other band. As always, you’re met with a barrage of wonderful guitar work, eyeball shaking vocals and a sumptuous guitar solo thrown into the mix for good measure. Announced ahead of the band’s frankly ridiculous tour with Kublai Khan TX and Sanguisugabogg, it’s a more straightforward affair than ‘Sepsis’ and it’s surely only a matter of time before they announce a full length for 2026. – Chris Earl